water heater gas

RichW

I had a call to check for a gas leak. They smell gas in the house. After checking all the gas fittings,I thought it was sewer gas-nope. While filling the sink with cold water to check for sewer gas from the trap, I found nothing. Then I used hot water to fill the sink and my electronic detector went crazy. Is this hydrogen? It's an AO Smith WH- I don't know what type of anode it has. This is my first experience with this situation. HELP...

Mark Hunt

Is this home usin well?

> I had a call to check for a gas leak. They smell

> gas in the house. After checking all the gas

> fittings,I thought it was sewer gas-nope. While

> filling the sink with cold water to check for

> sewer gas from the trap, I found nothing. Then I

> used hot water to fill the sink and my electronic

> detector went crazy. Is this hydrogen? It's an AO

> Smith WH- I don't know what type of anode it has.

> This is my first experience with this situation.

> HELP...




Mark H

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Mark Hunt

Is this home


getting its water from a well?


Mark H

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RichW

It's city water.Kind of heavy on the chlorine.

Mark Eatherton1

Could be

hydrogen sulphide. Follow the manufacturers instructions for treating the tank with chlorine. You might have to change the anode rod from magnesium to aluminum too.

Does the customer complain about "air" coming out of the hot water taps first thing in the morning, or after long periods of nonuse? If yes, it probably is hydrogen, which is colorles and odorless. Certain types of bacteria can react with the magnesium anode rod resulting in a rotten egg odor. Clean the tank using chlorine bleach or changing the anode rod to aluminum usually will solve the problem. If the tank is experiencing a bacterial reaction it takes on a rotten egg smell, similar to the ethylmercaptan used to odorize natural gas.


ME

Mark Hunt

Have they had


a water softener installed recently?

Mark H

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Larry Weingarten

odor

Hello: There is a special anode made just for odor. It is aluminum with about 8% zinc. I've learned treating the tank with standard 3% hydrogen peroxide (1-2 pints per 40 gallons) works nicely and does not need to be flushed out later. The bacteria involved are anerobic, so adding oxygen (peroxide is H2O2) to the water kills them off. On city water it is usually only a problem with tanks that go unused for a length of time like when folks have been on vacation, or the house was sold. Once water is being used steadily the problem abates. Softening the water can increase conductivity, speeding up the action of the anode. This puts more hydrogen in the tank, which the bacteria like. Sediment is a place for the bacteria to hide as well. So, cleaning the tank of sediment, changing the anode, adding peroxide and using water regularly will certainly fix it. Doing some of the measures might fix it! Hope that helps. One more bit. If water from the tank's drain looks like evil black slime, you may want to use more peroxide.

Mark Eatherton1

Thanks Larry!

I learned something NEW tonight.

"I'm gonna wash that grey right outta my hair," (as sung to the commercial tune "I'm gonna wash that grey right outta my hair,"

Hydrogen Peroxide eh... I think I've got some of that in my medecine cabinet. Will that work?

My best to your wife.

ME

RELY

Smell

Has the temp on tank been lowered recently if so this is the problem.Check temp if 120 f or lower will grow bac real good . Get temp back up to 130 - 135 and treat with as stated above posts

Larry Weingarten

drug store peroxide

Hello Mark: Correct! The peroxide to use is the same 3% like comes in the brown plastic bottles. Folks use it as mouthwash, so it's non-toxic. Suzanne continues to improve. It's not easy or fast, but steady. I do worry at times as she has laughed at my humor recently. Never used to...;)

RichW

Thanks guys. This is an elderly lady living alone- uses the water everyday. She did turn the 'stat way down to save money. And the water from the bottom of the tank looks like it came from a boiler. I flushed it and added the peroxide and turned up the heat one click above the factory setting.
If the gas returns I'll try the anode. (I took an anode with me- she was concerned about the aluminum.)

Thanks again...

[Deleted User]

It is possible for hot water that has sat storing heat to produce hydrogen gas during long times in between use, even if its city water. This most notably occurs in weekend getaways where they don't use the VACATIOn setting on the stat.

Despite whatyou may think about municipal H2O not doing this, it has happened to me numerous times and thats a fact.
Good luck.

Mike